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| Criterion | ![]() Agile Starfish Retrospective | ![]() Architecture Architecture Decision Record | ![]() Agile Mad Sad Glad | ![]() Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When improvement options need to be sorted more finely than just start and stop, it brings observations into clear kinds of action. This makes visible what should be done more, less, newly, or continued. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. | When a team's or workshop's mood needs to become readable, it structures emotional signals with little setup. It makes strain, relief, and sources of energy tangible. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 15-45 min | 30-60 min | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 | 1-3 | 3-10 | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Starfish Board, Practice Changes, Experiments | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Emotion Board, Themes, Action Items | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | RetrospectiveImprovementExperimentsTeam | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | RetrospectiveTeamReflection | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |



